Most aircraft are equipped to communicate over a network of ground-based transmission stations and satellites known as the Aircraft Communication Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS). Communications on ACARS follow protocols established by the ARINC organization. The protocols require rigid formatting and only allow for limited character based data transfer. Messages are typically transmitted in a burst transmission following a complex handshaking procedure establishing a connection between the aircraft and a ground radio transmission station or satellite and allocating a segment of time to the aircraft.
Recently, satellite and ground based networks using the Internet Protocol (IP) have become available for use in aircraft communications. IP based communication systems segment messages and package the segments into packets containing addressing and verification data. Acknowledgement and retransmission procedures ensure that messages are received. Messages transmitted under IP protocols are transmitted over low-level data link protocols such as proprietary satellite communication protocols or commonly used wireless protocols such as 802.11b, 802.11g, generalized packet radio service (GPRS), Bluetooth, and the like. Shorter range data link protocols such as 802.11b, 802.11g, and Bluetooth are typically only available to an aircraft proximate a ground-based transmission station located at an airport. Satellite IP-based communication systems are also not always available to aircraft during flight.
In prior systems, airborne applications supported only one communication protocol, typically either IP or ACARS. Given this communication protocol dependency, applications were unable to take advantage of both the broad coverage provided by ACARS communication and the reliable and high speed data transfer provided by IP-based communication. Prior ground-based systems likewise require extensive modification to receive the different protocols.